initiated by john on September 05, 2008 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517660/)
This is an amazing and tough to watch episode, though unlike most of the best episodes it isn't action-packed and doesn't exactly have a big impact on the overall themes of season three or four. Instead, the entire episode is set in an unknown prison where Sheridan is being held and tortured in order to break him and get him to sign a confession based on trumped up charges. While at times, this ep more
This is an amazing and tough to watch episode, though unlike most of the best episodes it isn't action-packed and doesn't exactly have a big impact on the overall themes of season three or four. Instead, the entire episode is set in an unknown prison where Sheridan is being held and tortured in order to break him and get him to sign a confession based on trumped up charges. While at times, this episode was a tad tough to watch, most of the torture was more mental and intended to break his resolve, so it isn't THAT hard to watch. So why did I like the show--after all, I am NOT a sadist (seriously, I'm not--no matter what my students say about me). Well, it's because this episode is a GREAT look at human nature and the face of evil. The inquisitor isn't what you might expect from an amoral torturer--instead he looks like an average person who probably has a wife and kids and possibly even a dog. BUT, this is where the brilliance of the show comes through--so rarely does evil appear bad on the surface, but evil is assisted when supposedly good men and women comply because it's the expedient or safe thing to do. A terrific look at the face of evil and a great chance for Sheridan to stand out in what is almost a two man performance.
